Lionel Messi has named Barcelona's Lamine Yamal as his successor, citing their similarities in style and talent. Yamal, who wears the number 10 jersey, has impressed since breaking into the team at a young age.
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Lionel Messi chooses Barcelona star Lamine Yamal as successor – ‘There’s no doubt for me’
Lionel Messi has picked out Barcelona star Lamine Yamal as the player that reminds him most of himself as a youngster. The two have been compared almost since the latter broke into the team, and there is little doubt that in terms of style and position, Barcelona have not had a more natural successor since Messi left in 2022.
Both left-footed, both precocious young talents with excellent dribbling skills, and as of this season, both sporting the number 10, there are no shortage of parallels that can be drawn. While they may be different in style, Lamine Yamal also arrived at a point when Barcelona were in need of a fresh star, although Lamine Yamal has been doing it from a younger age. Messi did not become a starter immediately, but but the end of his first full season as a 16-year-old, Lamine Yamal was already a regular.
Speaking at an Adidas event following the release of their World Cup 2026 advert, which features both Messi and Lamine Yamal, he was which player he thought ‘that’s a young me’ about when he was watching football.
“There’s a new generation of footballers who are very good and have many years ahead of them, but if I had to choose one because of his age, what he’s done so far, and the future he could have, it would be Lamine. There’s no doubt, for me he’s the best,” as highlighted by .
Lionel Messi sees Lamine Yamal as his successor due to their similar playing styles, both being left-footed and possessing excellent dribbling skills.
Lamine Yamal plays as a forward for Barcelona, showcasing his talent and skills in a position where the team needed a fresh star.
Lamine Yamal became a regular starter for Barcelona at the age of 16, making an impact much earlier than Messi did in his career.
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One of the things that Lamine Yamal may not have that Messi did are the competitive conditions. Messi walked into a side that would win the Champions League that year, and then was elevated by Pep Guardiola, with the Catalan giants one of major financial powers in the game too. Lamine Yamal’s Barcelona have been squeezed by the pandemic and sustainability rules lately, and bailed out by La Masia products coming through.
It remains to be seen whether Lamine Yamal will have a rival at Real Madrid to push him, as Messi did with Cristiano Ronaldo.
“What happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry. It’s something natural in the world of football. I was at Barcelona and he was at Real Madrid, and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people were always comparing us. But our relationship was always good and respectful, and everything that happened was purely athletic. There was nothing personal.
“We didn’t meet often except at matches or award ceremonies, and we were always on good terms. Now we’re at different stages in our lives, but what happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry,” Messi told Pollo Alvarez.